12 March 2020

Jon Haskins Head of Regulatory Compliance & Reporting Network Rail The Quadrant:MK Elder Gate Milton Keynes MK9 1EN

Dear Jon,

Network Rail’s network statement, 2021

I am writing to conclude ORR’s review of Network Rail’s latest network statement, as required of us under The Railways (Access, Management and Licensing of Railway Undertakings) Regulations 2016 (“the 2016 Regulations”).

We commented on your provisional version, on which you consulted in August 2019, and have reviewed your published Network Statement 2021, dated 8 November 2019. The summary you have provided showing the key changes was, once again, very useful.

We are providing some detailed comments and suggestions in an annotated Word copy of your network statement for you to consider as you prepare your 2022 edition. Most of these are in Chapter 6 (Charges), and are generally around the clarity and consistency of text, although one point worth mentioning here is the omission of charter train operators and where they fit in the market segments. Elsewhere, we have identified some hyperlinks that do not work as intended and note that your contacts section needs updating with ORR’s new Canary Wharf address. Taken with some minor page numbering issues we would encourage you to refresh the publication.

Looking ahead, the area most needing continued improvement is the provision of information relating to service providers’ facilities. We note the reinstatement of your summary spreadsheet and welcome the additional information it contains. Although this gives useful at-a-glance information, the Implementing Regulations on Service Facilities require full service facility descriptions, which the spreadsheet was not designed to provide. We recognise that Network Rail can only make available the service facility descriptions it receives. However, we understand that the Rail Delivery Group is looking at how further information about service providers’ facilities can best be gathered and we encourage Network Rail to engage with service facility providers to assist this work.

Finally, noting that the RailNetEurope common template has changed, we anticipate your provisional 2022 version to follow that format.

I am copying this letter to Matthew Blackwell with thanks for his constructive engagement.

Yours sincerely

Les Waters